Gravel stop construction



Sept. 30, 1969 VM.SE|DLER 3,469,357

GRAVEL STOP CONSTRUCT ION Filed May 19, 1967 INVENTOR.

M 'ydmzio Sez'cZZer,

BY MM a Atg6.

United States Patent 3,469,357 GRAVEL STOP CONSTRUCTION Migdonio Seidler, 408 N. Walnut, Pittsburg, Kans. 66762 Filed May 19, 1967, Ser. No. 639,868 Int. Cl. E04b 7/00; E04d 3/40, 13/00 US. Cl. 52-94 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Terminal sealing devices including gravel stops are norplied to the marginal edge of the roof deck and that is formed with a front edge portion, to which rearwardly extending spaced flanges are joined in integral relation.

Another object is to provide a gravel stop construction that is formed of a plastic material in a one-piece construction and that includes a front edge portion that extends over the marginal edge of a roof deck and that defines a fascia therefor and that cooperates with a lower flange and an upper flange to form a seal for the built-up roofing membrane located on the deck of the roof, grooves being formed in the inner surface of the front edge portion and the lower flange for venting vapors that accumulate between the building deck and the roofing membrane.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

mally employed on the marginal edge of a roof deck, particularly when the roof deck is relatively flat and is of the type that receives composition roofing material thereon to form a leak-proof surface. Gravel is usually distributed over the upper surface of the roofingmaterial and is prevented from falling over the edge of the roof by forming the terminal device with a rearwardly sloping cant strip or the like. Heretofore, the gravel stop units or assemblies have normally been formed of metal materials and have incorporated some form of a flange together with a fascia member, the flange being designed to prevent seepage of roofing material saturants through the marginal portion of the roof and then downwardly over the front face thereof. Although these prior known gravel stop units did serve the purpose of retaining the gravel material in place and preventing the dropping of the gravel over the edge of the roof, problems have been experienced in these prior units in preventing the seepage of the saturants outwardly of the roof deck as they accumulated between the built-up sheet roofing material.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a gravel stop construction that is formed of a plastic material and not only is resistant to weather conditions, but is further designed to Description of the drawing In the drawing which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the instant invention:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen in perspective of the gravel stop construction embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the gravel stop construction as applied to a building roof deck and showing the location of the built-up roofing material and gravel seal the sheet roofing material so as to prevent any seepage of saturants therethrough. In carrying out the concept of the invention, the plastic unit, which is formed in a one-piece construction, includes a forward edge portion that is designed to be received over the marginal edge of the building to form a fascia therefor. Extending rearwardly of the marginal edge of the gravel stop and integrally joined thereto are spaced flanges that define a pocket therebetween. The lowermost of the flanges is secured directly to a nailing strip on the upper deck of the roof, whereas the uppermost of the flanges receives gravel material thereon and is inwardly canted so as to prevent the gravel from falling over the edge of the roof. The gravel stop construction of the present invention not only has the advantage of providing a pocket for receiving therein the sheet material that defines the built-up roof, but further provides for the venting of vapors that may have accumulated between the roof deck and the roofing material or membrane. This is accomplished by forming grooves in the lower flange and in the inner surface of the forward edge portion, the grooves defining ventilating flutes that provide an escape passage for the vapors that accumulate between the roof deck and the roofing membrane.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to with relation to the gravel stop elements; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 in FIG. 2.

Description of the invention Referring now to the drawing, the gravel stop construc tion or unit is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is generally indicated at 10. As shown, the gravel stop unit 10 is adapted to be applied to the roof deck of a building and along the marginal edge thereof. As will be described hereinafter, the gravel stop unit 10 is further designed to be employed on a roof deck that is generally flat and on the upper surface of which built-up roofing materials, such as saturants and adhesives in the form of pitch, tar and the like, are applied. As will be further described, the gravel stop unit 10 of the present invention defines an edging or fascia for the marginal edge of the roof deck and, as such, has ornamental characteristics incorporated therein.

Insofar as the physical construction of the gravel stop unit 10 is concerned, reference is made to FIG. 1 wherein the details thereof are illustrated. In this connection, the gravel stop unit 10 is preferably formed of a plastic material in a one-piece construction and in lengths of a predetermined dimension, the length of each unit being butted and joined either by an adhesive or scaling in some conventional manner, such as welding. As shown, the gravel stop unit 10 includes a front edge portion 12 that is adapted to extend over the building edge and as such defines a fascia therefor. Joined integrally to the front edge portion 12 and extending rearwardly therefrom is a horizontal lower flange portion 14. Spaced from the lower flange portion and also joined to the front edge portion 12 is an upper flange portion 16 that cooperates with the lower flange portion to define a pocket 18 therebetween. As more clearly seen in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the upper flange portion 16 is located in a generally horizontal plane and cooperates with the horizontal upper surface of the lower flange 14 to form the pocket 18, which in elevation has a rectangular configuration. The upper surface of the upper flange 16 that is indicated at 20 in FIG. 2 is canted or inclined inwardly to form a cant strip, the cant strip terminating at the front edge portion 12 at a point below the uppermost end of the front edge portion 12 so as to form a shoulder 22 therewith. As seen in both FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner edges of both the lower flange 14 and the upper flange 16 are beveled, as indicated at 24 and 26, to provide lead-on edges for roofing materials that are received in the pocket 18 and on the surface 20. As further shown in FIG. 1, the undersurface of the lower flange 14 is formed with a plurality of grooves 28 that communicate with similarly formed grooves 30 that are formed in the inner surface of the front edge portion 12' Each groove 28 communicates with a groove 30 and provides for venting of vapors that may accumulate between roofing materials applied to the roof deck and the roof deck, as will be described.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the front face of the building on which the gravel stop unit is applied is indicated at 32 and defines the building wall. Located on the uppermost surface of the building wall 32 and disposed at the marginal edge thereof are nailing strips 34, the nailing strips 34 being secured to the building wall 32 in any conventional manner. A roof deck 36 is formed of any conventional insulating material, such as insulating tile, wood or the like, and is substantially flat in configuration. In order to seal the roof deck 36, a plurality of sheet-like roofing felts or elements are applied thereon, the roofing elements or felts being indicated at 38, 40 and 42 and defining a roofing membrane. Pitch or asphalt is applied to the roofing membrane or felts 38, 40 and 42; and in order to provide a weather-resistant surface therefor, gravel material indicated at 44 is liberally scattered over the upper surface of the upper felt 42.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to prevent the pitch or asphalt associated with the roofing membrane from running over the edges of the building deck and then over the front face or edge of the building. For this purpose, the gravel stop unit 10 is provided, and, as shown in FIG. 2, the unit is secured in place by nailing the flange 14 to the nailing strips 34, thereby locating the unit so that the front edge portion 12 abuts the Wall 32 and the outer edge of the nailing strip 34. As previously mentioned, the front edge portion 12 thus defines a fascia for the roof deck. In this connection, the front edge portion 12 may be of any suitable design or may be pigmented to define a color that is ornamentally suited to the building design. The double flange construction defined by the flanges 14 and 16 forms the pocket 18, and the felts 38 and 40 are adapted to extend therein, the felts 38 and 40 thereby being interiorly sealed so as to prevent pitch or tar distributed therebetween from running over the edge of the roof. The upper felt 44 extends over the upper surface of the upper flange 16 and terminates just short of the shoulder 22. The gravel material 44 that is distributed over the upper surface of the felt 42 extends upwardly to the shoulder 22 and thereby is prevented from falling over the front edge portion 12 by the shoulder 22. Further, since the upper surface of the upper flange 16 is canted, the tendency will be for the gravel 44 to fall by gravity downwardly and inwardly of the roof deck.

Each of the units 10 that define the gravel stop construction are spaced along the marginal edge of the roof deck and are formed in relatively long lengths and are butted as indicated at the joint 50 in FIG. 1 to form a continuous construction. The units 10 may be sealed by an adhesive; or, since the gravel stop units are fabricated or molded of a plastic material, heat sealing or molding can be employed for joining the units together.

Heretofore, in the prior known gravel stop constructions or terminal systems as employed on roof decks, vapors had a tendency to accumulate between the lower felts and the roof deck. Usually, these vapors would accumulate and form bubbles, eventually causing punctures in the felting material, these punctures or ruptures thereby destroying the sealing characteristics of the roofing material. In the present invention, the grooves 28 and 30 are provided in the lower surface of the lower flange 14 and the inner surface of the front edge portion 12 so as to enable any vapors that accumulate between the building deck and the roofing membrane to escape therethrough. Thus, a continuous vent is provided that avoids the build .4 up of vapors between the roofing membranes and the building deck.

It is contemplated that the gravel stop construction will be formed of any suitable plastic material or rubber, such as vinyl or butyl rubber; and, as a result, the gravel stop construction can be bent in any configuration as desired, both in a horizontal and in a vertical direction. Thus, the gravel stop construction may be employed on a variety of roofs, such as vaulted roofs, circular roofs, and even freeform roofs. The plastic material further provides for bending of the upper flange 16 upwardly along a horizontal axis so as to enable the nails 46, 48 to be applied to the lower flange 14 when securing the unit 10 to the nailing strips 34. The use of the plastic material also eliminates expansion problems heretofore known; and the joining of the separate units along the joints 50, which may be by welding or an adhesive, enables the gravel stop units to be formed in long rolls and then applied and joined together in accordance with the installation requirements. The configuration and appearance of the gravel stop construction further conform to accepted architectural designs, and, if necessary, the front edge portion 12 may be suitably ornamented or may be fabricated so as to receive a facing of any suitable design.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gravel stop construction that is applied to the marginal edge of a roof deck, a front edge portion that extends over said marginal edge and defines a fascia for the roof deck, a lower flange integrally joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly therefrom in generally perpendicular relation to overlie the adjacent marginal area of said roof deck, an upper flange joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly in generally parallel relation with respect to said lower flange and spaced therefrom to define a pocket therewith, sheet roofing material overlying said roof deck and receiving gravel material thereon, and at least a portion of the sheet roofing material being received in said pocket for sealing therein, said front edge portion and flanges being formed in a unitary construction, the upper surface of said upper flange being pitched downwardly from the front edge portion and being stepped down with respect to the uppermost end of said front edge portion, wherein a stop is formed for gravel material located on the upper flange, said front edge portion and lower flange having inner surfaces that are located in engaging relation with surfaces of said roof deck that are disposed adjacent thereto, said inner surfaces having spaced grooves formed therein that provide for venting of vapors that accumulate between said roofing material and roof deck.

2. In a gravel stop construction that is applied to the marginal edge of a roof deck, a front edge portion that extends over said marginal edge and defines a fascia for the roof deck, a lower flange integrally joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly therefrom in generally perpendicular relation to overlie the adjacent marginal area of said roof deck, an upper flange joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly in generally parallel relation with respect to said lower flange and spaced therefrom to define a pocket therewith, sheet roofing material overlying said roof deck and receiving gravel material thereon, and at least a portion of the sheet roofing material being received in said pocket for sealing therein, said front edge portion and flanges being formed of a plastic material in a unitary construction, at least a layer of said roofing material overlying said second flange and receiving said gravel material thereon, a plurality of grooves being formed in the surfaces of said lower flange and front end portion that are in engagement with surfaces of said roof deck, wherein vapors that have accumulated between the roofing material and roof deck are vented through said grooves to the atmosphere.

3. In a gravel stop construction that is applied to the marginal edge of a roof deck, a unitary plastic member including a front edge portion, a lower flange and an upper flange, the front edge portion extending over the marginal edge of said roof deck and defining a fascia therefor, said lower flange being integrally joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly therefrom in generally perpendicular relation to overlie the adjacent marginal area of said roof deck, means for securing the lower flange to said roof deck, said upper flange being integrally joined to said front edge portion and extending rearwardly in generally parallel relation to said lower flange for a substantial portion of the length thereof, said upper flange being spaced from said lower flange to define a pocket therewith, the upper surface of said upper flange being pitched downwardly from the front edge portion and being stepped downwardly with respect to the uppermost end of said front edge portion to form a shoulder therewith, sheet roofing material overlying said roof deck, at least a portion of the sheet roofing material being received in said pocket for sealing therein, and a gravel material being distributed over the roofing material on the roof deck and also being receivable over the upper flange and being confined thereon by said shoulder that defines a stop for said gravel material so as to prevent spreading thereof over said front edge portion.

4. In a gravel stop construction as set forth in claim 3, at least a layer of said roofing material overlying said upper flange and receiving the gravel material thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,480,246 1/1924 Douglas 52-94 2,149,742 3/1939 Miller 52-716 2,554,779 5/1951 Goodwin 5295 X 2,796,624- 6/1957 Speer 52716 X 2,843,889 7/1958 Keller 52-7l6 X 2,881,485 4/1959 Hyman 52309 X 3,132,445 5/ 1964 Swanson 5294 3,387,419 6/1968 Kamberg et al 52716 X FOREIGN PATENTS 983,080 2/ 1965 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner PRICE C. FAW, 1a., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5258, 300, 716 

